Virtual cinema platform, Circuits, has launched a private-sector welfare model that provides lifetime monthly support and comprehensive health insurance for ageing Nollywood icons, in a move that is redefining labour economics in Nigeria’s film industry.

The initiative, known as the Film Veterans’ Dignity Fund, targets veteran performers who have helped build the commercial and cultural foundations of the country’s multi-billion-naira screen economy but retired without formal pension structures.

At a media roundtable in Lagos, Chief Operating Officer of Circuits, Mrs Imade Bibowei-Osuobeni, said the scheme represented a transition from ad-hoc charity to institutionalised industry welfare, positioning it as a corrective market intervention rather than corporate philanthropy.

“This is not charity; it is economic responsibility,” Bibowei-Osuobeni said.

“The men and women who built Nollywood’s cultural wealth deserve lifetime dignity. This fund addresses a long-standing structural injustice in the creative economy.”

The first beneficiaries are Chief Pete Edochie, Idowu Philips (popularly known as Iya Rainbow) and Lere Paimo.

According to her, the programme is designed as a recurring, private-sector pension-style framework for veterans aged 70 and above, with plans for phased expansion as new partnerships are concluded.

She argued that Nollywood’s historical reliance on informal contracts, inconsistent royalties and the systemic impact of piracy created a value chain where the original creators accumulated cultural capital but not financial security.

“For decades, weak contracts and revenue leakages meant the industry grew without a safety net for those who built it,” she said. “A new creative economy must correct that deficit while building sustainable pathways for the next generation.”

Beyond welfare, Circuits is positioning itself as an infrastructure provider for Africa’s digital film economy.

Describing the company as a pan-African, scheduled, pay-per-view virtual cinema, Bibowei-Osuobeni said the platform’s business model mirrors traditional cinema windows while leveraging digital distribution to protect intellectual property and deepen monetisation.

The platform has launched state-focused creative development programmes, with Ekiti state committing $15 million to the Ekiti State Creative Impact Fund.

The initiative will train residents, produce state-owned content, and generate internally generated revenue for participating states.

Within about a year of its launch, Circuits has redefined the cinema ecosystem, expanding its reach to about 200 countries while giving stars opportunities to earn decently from their work.

The company said it has partnered with a global agency on an anti-piracy campaign, with thousands of infringing links taken down in months.